Stan Wickham
Encyclopedia
Stan Wickham was a pioneer Australia
n rugby union
player, a state
and national representative centre who captained the Australian national side on a number of occasions in the early 1900s. He was tour captain for the inaugural Wallaby overseas tour, that to New Zealand in 1905.
Wickham was schooled at Parramatta Marist Brothers
where he learned his rugby. After school he played for the Parramatta Two Blues
in 1893 & 1894 then the Wallaroo club side in Sydney in 1895 and 1896. He lived in Lucknow near Orange, New South Wales
from 1896 to 1899 and played rugby there, making representative Country sides for clashes against City in each of those years. In 1900 he returned to Sydney and commenced with the Western Suburbs DRUFC
in its inaugural year of competition. He would play 87 first-grade games for the club.
representative side in 1895 aged 19 and would go on to make 37 Waratah appearances in a state representative career than lasted till 1906. He made 24 state appearances in matches against Queensland
. Howell cites his finest Waratahs game as an 1897 tour match against the visiting All Blacks
when he scored two tries and booted a conversion for a rare 22-8 New South Wales win over New Zealand
.
He first represented at the national level against New Zealand, in Sydney, on 15 August 1903. He made two Test appearances against Great Britain who toured Australia 1904 and then in 1905 he was selected for the Wallabies tour of New Zealand, the first overseas campaign by an Australian rugby side. He was one of fourteen New South Welshman, who with nine Queenslanders made up a twenty-five strong squad. It was a disappointing tour for the Wallabies who played seven games and won only the last three against Manawatu-Hawkes Bay, Wanganui-Taranaki and Auckland. Wickham played every match on tour and was top-scorer with eighteen points from two penalty goals and three goals from marks. In total he claimed five international rugby caps for Australia, four of them as captain.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, a state
New South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
and national representative centre who captained the Australian national side on a number of occasions in the early 1900s. He was tour captain for the inaugural Wallaby overseas tour, that to New Zealand in 1905.
Early life and club rugby
Born in Parramatta, New South WalesParramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
Wickham was schooled at Parramatta Marist Brothers
Parramatta Marist High School
Parramatta Marist High School is the oldest Catholic school in Australia.Parramatta Marist began as a school established by Father John Therry in 1820, under the direction of Mr George Morley. The school was transferred to the site of the present Cathedral in 1837 and entrusted to the care of the...
where he learned his rugby. After school he played for the Parramatta Two Blues
Parramatta Two Blues
Parramatta Two Blues Rugby are a rugby union club based in the second CBD of Sydney, Parramatta.-History:The club was originally formed in 1879 as Cumberland but changed their name to Parramatta when the District competition was implemented in 1900....
in 1893 & 1894 then the Wallaroo club side in Sydney in 1895 and 1896. He lived in Lucknow near Orange, New South Wales
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
from 1896 to 1899 and played rugby there, making representative Country sides for clashes against City in each of those years. In 1900 he returned to Sydney and commenced with the Western Suburbs DRUFC
West Harbour RFC
The West Harbour Rugby Football Club is a team in the Shute Shield, the premier club rugby union football competition in New South Wales.The club is based in Concord in the Inner West of Sydney, and play their home matches at Waratah Stadium, Concord Oval...
in its inaugural year of competition. He would play 87 first-grade games for the club.
Representative career
Wickham was first selected in a New South WalesNew South Wales Waratahs
The New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
representative side in 1895 aged 19 and would go on to make 37 Waratah appearances in a state representative career than lasted till 1906. He made 24 state appearances in matches against Queensland
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
. Howell cites his finest Waratahs game as an 1897 tour match against the visiting All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
when he scored two tries and booted a conversion for a rare 22-8 New South Wales win over New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
.
He first represented at the national level against New Zealand, in Sydney, on 15 August 1903. He made two Test appearances against Great Britain who toured Australia 1904 and then in 1905 he was selected for the Wallabies tour of New Zealand, the first overseas campaign by an Australian rugby side. He was one of fourteen New South Welshman, who with nine Queenslanders made up a twenty-five strong squad. It was a disappointing tour for the Wallabies who played seven games and won only the last three against Manawatu-Hawkes Bay, Wanganui-Taranaki and Auckland. Wickham played every match on tour and was top-scorer with eighteen points from two penalty goals and three goals from marks. In total he claimed five international rugby caps for Australia, four of them as captain.